Chapter Seven
Ice
T ODAY’S THE LAST day of the festival and I barely managed to get four hours of sleep last night.
I stayed up as long as I possibly could once Ruby and Nora were on the bus.
Everyone else went and got sleep throughout the night.
When Noah saw I was still up and standing guard, he forced me to leave and took my place himself.
I don’t think it’s any secret that I think Ruby is a goddess despite how hard I’ve tried to keep it a secret.
Oh well. I don’t give a shit who knows I think she’s sexy as hell.
It’s not like I’ll really see her again unless we’re called in for security work.
Even then I have a feeling I might have to wait in line to get another shot at going on tour with Ruby.
Everyone seems to have a crush on her so I’m sure all the guys will want to be close to Ruby. I’m just one of many.
“Ice, Ruby wants to meet the guys she hasn’t already before her show tonight. You ready to head over there now?” Lock asks me as I slide my cut over my shoulders and turn to face him.
Lock is trying so hard to look innocent, but I can see the smirk on his face and know he’s ready to bust my ass for the crush I have on the singer.
I shake my head and make sure I have everything I’ll need for the day before leaving without saying a word to him.
Death is leaving his room at the same time and joins us to walk over to Ruby’s bus.
He doesn’t say a word when Lock and I stop at one of the booths so we can grab something for breakfast. We found the best breakfast burritos ever and order them with cups of coffee.
I also add a few cinnamon rolls to my order.
Yeah, I have a sweet tooth and fully admit that shit.
I work out extra in the gym so I can eat whatever the hell I want.
With our food and drinks in hand, the three of us make our way to the bus where Ruby is already standing with her security team surrounding her.
I remain back from everyone as she talks and laughs with everyone.
When she looks over, my eyes connect with Ruby’s and I can’t look away from her again.
The same thing happened last night when Judge and Wren left her in that room after the private meet and greet.
I barely register Lock nudging me until he elbows my ribs and I grunt in response before turning a glare on him.
“What?” I growl out, wanting to beat his ass.
“You got some drool on the corner of your mouth, Ice. Might want to wipe it away,” he jokes as Death starts laughing and doesn’t bother trying to hide it from me.
“Very funny,” I say before looking at him and walking away so I can ignore both of these assholes.
Ruby breaks away from the security team and heads in my direction. A small smile is on her face. I don’t move an inch as I hold my breakfast in hand.
“Hi. I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you yet,” Ruby says when she steps up next to me. “I’m Ruby.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Ruby. I’m Ice,” I tell her, shocked that my voice works and doesn’t waver as nerves fill me. “You put on a great concert last night.”
“Thank you so much! Is that your first time seeing me?” she questions me, running her fingers down my arm in the briefest touch.
“It was. I was mesmerized. I’ve been to concerts before and to see your fans sing along with you and cheer as loud as they did was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. I can’t wait to see what you do tonight,” I answer her honestly as she looks up at me.
“It will be more of the same as last night. I try not to do the same thing for every show, but it’s kind of hard at a festival like this.
We’ve got two nights of performances and only so many songs to choose from.
We’re really not allowed to debut new stuff.
The song with Memphis was an exception because Jagger wanted to gauge the reaction of the crowd to it,” she says and I watch as her eyes shimmer and sparkle with excitement as she talks about her songs and performing for a crowd.
“I can’t wait to watch you,” I tell her, internally grimacing as I realize how creepy that sounded. “Not like that. Um, I mean, I can’t wait to see your concert again tonight.”
“I get what you mean. Would you like a picture, Ice?” Ruby questions me as I look down at her and realize how short and tiny she truly is next to me.
“If you want to have one, I’d love it,” I say, looking around to see where I can set my food down as Lock walks up and grabs it from my hands.
He smiles at me and steps back as I hold up my phone and take a few pictures of Ruby and myself.
One of them she’s leaning against my side with her hand on my chest. She’s looking up at me as I look down at her.
“Why don’t we exchange numbers in case you get called up for security detail again?” she asks me, her voice so soft I can barely hear her over the rumbling engine of a bus as it starts not too far away from us.
Ruby takes my phone and I watch as she puts her phone number in my contact list. Before she hands it back, Ruby presses a button and I see her calling herself.
With my phone in hand, she says she has my number now and we’ll have them in case I’m with her again.
She’ll feel safer with one more person to contact in case of an emergency.
I give her a smile as Lock hands my food back to me.
“I’ll let you eat, Ice. It was a pleasure meeting you. I’ll see you later,” Ruby says, walking back to her bus and disappearing inside before the door closes behind her. I don’t take my eyes from the spot until Lock once again elbows me to gain my attention.
“How was it bein’ that close to your crush?” he asks me as we step away and find a spot to sit down so we can eat our breakfast before getting to work.
“Shut the fuck up, Lock. You’re insane. How am I just now noticin’ this shit?” I question him as he laughs his ass off but doesn’t answer me because it doesn’t need a response.
Death comes over to join us with a coffee in hand from somewhere.
It’s not from the same place as we got our food this morning.
This is a large coffee and it smells so much better than what I have in my hand.
Death just laughs when he looks at me and sees me staring at his coffee cup.
Still he doesn’t say a word as I open my burrito and begin to eat it.
I’m starving and feel as if it’s been weeks since I’ve eaten a proper meal.
This food at the festival is better than I thought it would be, but it doesn’t beat a real meal from Wren or something I cook myself.
Yes, I can cook. My grandparents made sure I knew how to cook and bake when I was growing up so I could take care of any woman I fell in love with without expecting her to do all the housework and preparing every meal for her family.
***
T oday has been long as hell. Ruby had a fitting on her bus and then she had rehearsal with her dancers before the concert tonight.
Memphis and her found time to sing their song and practice again.
They really don’t need it, but I enjoy listening to them sing together.
Even if I can’t stand seeing his hands on her.
Nora hasn’t left the bus and we’ve all been told to keep five guys on her when Ruby has to leave her alone.
Jagger and Noah want her protected to ensure this Dillon asshole doesn’t get anywhere close to her.
Lock is currently at the bus while I head off with Ruby as she goes through everything she has to do for the day. Including a meet and greet.
Now, we’re preparing to walk Ruby to the stage so she can give her last concert at the festival.
She leaves the bus wearing a pair of skintight leather pants with another green halter top.
Her eyes have that smokey look done again as I take in every inch of her.
Including the tall as hell heels on her feet.
She’s sexy as hell with her long hair down with curls placed through the length.
Ruby looks at me when she gets off the bus and I stand at her back like I did yesterday.
Without a word, Noah leads us to the stairs where she walks up like she commands the venue and I wait in the wings for her.
Death stands next to me this time as we watch her speak to the crowd for a few minutes.
When she starts to sing, I’m once again captured by her voice and the way she moves her body.
Each move is deliberate as the dancers join her on stage tonight.
She really didn’t utilize them last night and it makes her performance even better if I’m being honest. Last night her show was more acoustic.
Tonight, Ruby is pulling out all the bells and whistles with dancers, pyro, and various images on the large screens behind her.
It’s so different compared to last night and I don’t know which set I prefer if I’m being honest.
Ruby doesn’t lose an ounce of energy as she moves fluidly from one song to the next with bright lights shining down on her from above.
A few times, she looks like an angel as the light hits her just right.
She smiles and moves in ways I’ve never seen someone move before.
The dancers at the strip club don’t compare to her at all and I’ve watched more dances than I can count.
For now, I wait in the wings for her to be done.
From what I’ve been told, the buses will remain here tonight and leave in the morning.
So we’ll be here all night long again. I’m not complaining.
“Lock wasn’t bullshittin’,” Death says when Ruby talks between songs for a few minutes. “You really do have a fuckin’ crush on Ruby.”
“Shut up,” I tell him as I look over my shoulder and look at him smirking at me while watching the stage.